Fires killed 542 people and injured 221 others in China in the first quarter of this year, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday.

The ministry said there were 53,660 fires during the three months, 29.5 percent fewer than the same period last year.

The death toll decreased by 20.3 percent than last year and the number of injured people reduced by 49.8 percent, according to the ministry.

Fires caused 215.09 million yuan (US$about 27.93 million) of direct property losses, 12.5 percent lower than the same period of last year.

The ministry also reported that during the same period 1,812 cases of of arson resulted in 76 deaths, 24 people injured and direct property losses of 12.73 million yuan

(Xinhua News Agency April 11, 2007)